Portable unit for fluid samples



Dec. 24, 1957 H. F. TAPP 2,81

PORTABLE UNIT FOR FLUID SAMPLES Filed Aug. 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, flurry fi' Fpp, BY

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Dec. 24, 1957 H; F. TAPP 2,817,373

PORTABLE UNIT FOR FLUID SAMPLES Filed Aug. 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 l I l I! m j @2 I g I z JZZar/zeys.

thehub 2 and make a fluid-tight seal. The clamp 5 may filie between two circular ribs 8 on hub 2 to prevent axial United States. Patent PORTABEE UNIT FOR SAMPLES Application August 12, 1955, Serial-'No'.527,981.

4 Claims. (Cl. 141-314) This invention relates to a portable unit having an improved container forreceiving samplesof fluids, gaseous or liquid or;a mixture. of both; that =.-are:extracted from a conduit or a storage container forthepurpose of. testing or analysis.

For one example,innthexpetroleum industry, where fluidsare conveyed through pipe lines, small measured quantities are periodically withdrawn from the pipe line by a sampling unit and forced into a suitable portable unit. The portable unit of this invention may desirably be employed for this use although it is capable of other uses and of general application.

The invention has for an object the provision of a portable unit comprising a sample receiver consisting of a bag made of thin, flexible, plastic material and suspended from the depending hub of a suitable holder forming a part of said portable unit, to which hub the mouth of the bag is suitably clamped, the holder and hub having a passage therethrough for the admission and discharge of fluids to and from the bag, such passage having at its upper end one element of a quick-detachable coupling, adapted for engagement with a mating element on the sampling unit to enable filling of the bag or with a similar element on a conduit to enable discharging the bag.

The invention also has for an object the provision in a portable unit of the type described of a check valve in the coupling respectively opening and closing when the coupling is engaged and disengaged.

The invention has for another object, the provision in a portable unit of the kind described of a protective can for the sample-receiving bag, surrounding the same and connected to the holder for convenient detachment and attachment, such can desirably having a bail handle for convenience in transporting the portable unit.

The invention will be described in connection with the illustrative embodiments of it in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a portable unit embodying the invention and in elevation a fragment of a sampling unit; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view illustrative of the portable unit and a fragment of the sampling unit, illustrating a modification in the coupling and valve means.

Referring to these drawings and first to Fig. l, the portable unit consists of a bag 1 made of a suitable flexible, plastic material such for example, as polyethylene, which may also be translucent or transparent. The mouth of this bag is telescoped over a hub 2, which depends from a suitable holder 3, which in this case is in the form of a circular disk, having a top marginal flange 4 and serving, as will later appear, as a cover. The mouth of the bag 1 is clamped to the periphery of hub 2 by any suitable means, such for example as a split circular clamp 5, the ends of which may be drawn together by a bolt 6 and thumb nut 7 to press the mouth of the bag tightly against 'tlisplacement. Extending through the member 3 and its 2,8 1 7,373 Patented Dec. 24,-.

2, hub 2 is a vertical passage 9 through-which :fiuidsumay passinto and out of the flexible bag.

Threaded "into the upper end ofxpassage. 9 iszonewelement 10 of a suitable quick-detachable"coupling; whereby the portable unit may conveniently" be connected to a mating coupling element, such as-.11, on the outlet ofthe sampling unit,indicatedinapart atIlZ, .or. on a conduit through which part of the'fluid in'the-receiver 'is :dispensed for analysi's' or testing. Preferably, bOlillBlfiIllClltQOf the coupling have check valves therein, both of which open when the coupling elements are: engaged anduboth of which close during the act of disengaging the elements and'before disengagement actually occurs murder to prevent escape of fluid from the sampling unit and from the portable unit. A coupling of this kind is shown inFig. 5 of the Scheiwer Patent No. 2,135,222, granted-November 1, 1938i In the drawings, 10 is theelement, which has a's'ocket toreceive the nipple, that constitutes the element 111 The latter has a circumferential groove 13 to receive *a series'of locking. balls, 'carriedbyelement 10-and located within a sleeve 14, which isslidable vertically downwardag'ainst a spring to enable the balls ?to pass over the nipple 11 and into or out of groove 13 and which, when in its upper and illustrated position, prevents escape of the balls from such groove and locks the coupling elements together. Reference to said patent may be had for a more complete disclosure of the valved coupling, it necessary or desired.

Preferably, the flexible, sample-receiving bag 1 is encompassed by a protective shroud or can 15, the upper end of which is closed by the holder element 3, serving here as a cover. The cover and can elements are engaged for quick and convenient detachment and re-attachment in any suitable way, as by a bayonet slot 16 (see Fig. 2) at diametrically opposite locations on one element and pins 17 at similarly located points on the other element. If desired, the pins 17 may as shown in Fig. I serve also as the trunnions of a bail 18 by which the sample receiver may be conveniently carried.

In some cases, the coupling described, having automatic check valves, may not be necessary and valveless quick-detachable coupling elements, such as the nipple and socket elements shown at 19 and 20 respectively in Fig. 2, and having the locking groove 21 and slidable sleeve 22, respectively may be used.

In use, the portable unit is connected with the sampling unit 12 by depressing sleeve 14, and pressing the socket in element 10 over the nipple 11 on the outlet of the sampling unit. As this engagement is made, the locking balls described will lie opposite groove 13 and, if the sleeve is now released, it will spring upwardly holding the balls in the groove and locking the coupling elements together. In the act of coupling these elements, the check valve in each is automatically opened. Fluid then passes into the bag until it is filled. If the protective can 15 is removed, the progress of the filling operation can be observed and stopped at the proper time. The protective can may then be replaced and the coupling elements 10 and 11 disengaged. The can enables the flexible bag sample receiver to be set down if desired and the bail 18 enables the re ceiver to be readily carried. When the fluid is to be discharged from the receiver the portable unit may be coupled in the same manner, as above described to a discharge conduit. Then, the protective can 15 is removed the contents may be expressed by squeezing the bag together until all its contents have passed into passage 9. The can may then be replaced and the couplings disengaged, after which the portable unit is ready for subsequent use in the manner described.

The portable unit is useful where the sample is received under pressure and is volatile because the sample is maintained under the same pressure in the receiver, being held therein because of the coupling valve that closes fluid-tight and because of the fluid-tight joint between the mouth of the bag and the hub 2. If the pressure were released, some of a volatile liquid would vaporize and escape and it is important that the sample be an accurate one by retaining all constituents of the fluid. The sample bag 1 may readily be immersed in cool water, if it is desired to condense a gaseous sample. While the can 15 serves to protect the bag 1 against injury, it also serves to catch the contents of the bag in the event that the bag ruptures from any cause. The bag itself is very inexpensive and may be readily replaced. It allows complete expression of the sample by the simple act of manually squeezing the bag.

The invention thus provides an improved portable unit for fluid samples, either liquid or gaseous or both, that is relatively inexpensive, easy to operate and eifective in retaining the sample under the same pressure at which it was received.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable unit for fluid samples, comprising a top member having a depending hub and a marginal flange extending outward from said hub, said top member having a passage extending from its upper face to and through said hub, an open mouthed flexible bag impervious to the 25 fluid samples, the mouth of said bag being telescoped over the hub of said top member and closed by said hub except for said passage, clamping means for detachably se' curing said bag on said hub, a unitary shroud surrounding the sides and bottomof said bag, and a separable connection between said shroud and the marginal flange of said top member.

2. A portable unit as in claim 1 wherein a snap connector is threadably received at the upper end of the passage to facilitate positioning of the receiver with respect to a fluid outlet and further facilitate passage of fluid to the receiver.

3. A portable unit as in claim 2 wherein the connector includes a one-way check valve preventing escape of fluid from the receiver.

4. A portable unit as in claim 1 wherein a bail is hooked into opposite sides of the peripheral face of the flange and said shroud is formed with bayonet slots for receiving said bail to provide said separable connection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,642,215 Carter June 16, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 105,915 Germany Oct. 14, 1899 

